Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos said simple play can build a child's self-esteem

Young children should return to old-fashioned games such as hide-and-seek and hopscotch to beat worries over their body image, a leading expert has claimed.

Independent psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos said her research has shown that children as young as five had anxieties over the way they look.

She said a return to traditional outdoor games such as tag and rounders would give youngsters more confidence in their own bodies for the future and fulfill the so-called Olympic Legacy.

Active play also gives less sporty children the confidence to beat anxieties, she said.

Dr Papadopoulos' report, entitled Physical Activity and Body Image, found that play is just as important as sport in getting children to participate in physical activity.

It said that children who have body confidence concerns are more likely to be anxious about taking part in formal sports.

However, parents who engage their children in regular physical activity, such as active play, from an early age, help them to develop increased self-esteem and emotional resilience.

She said both of these are important factors in developing a better body image and making children better able to cope with the external messages about body image - such as advertising campaigns - that they are bombarded with as they grow up.

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Speaking at the launch of the Make Time 2 Play campaign, organised by the British Toy & Hobby Association, Dr
Papadopoulos added that recent studies had found that a quarter of
seven-year-old girls have tried to lose weight at least once and one third of young boys aged eight to 12 are dieting.

She said: 'A return to old fashioned
games which involve physical activity can only be good for getting rid
of worries about body image among children.

Dr Papadopoulos said a return to traditional outdoor games like hopscotch would give youngsters more confidence in their own bodies for the future and fulfill the so-called Olympic Legacy

'Youngsters who are active and having fun are more likely to develop a positive outlook on physical activity.

'For those that shy away from sport there are lots of other activities that can get children active without engaging in traditional team sports.

'Building a den, going on a nature trail or treasure hunt or even just playing tag can be great starter activities to get children active before leading on to more gentle sports style activities like rounders or playing with a ball. The key thing is to keep it fun.'

The Make Time 2 Play campaign states
that play is vitally important not just to children's physical
development but to their emotional health too.